Background: Prescribers and community pharmacists commonly perceive prescription opioid abuse to be a problem in their practice settings and communities. Both cohorts have expressed support for interventions that improve interprofessional communication and reduce prescription opioid abuse. The objective of this study was to describe prescription opioid abuse-related communication among and between prescribers and community pharmacists in South Central Appalachia. Methods: The investigators conducted five focus groups with 35 Appalachian Research Network practice-based research network providers between February and October, 2014. Two prescriber-specific, two pharmacist-specific, and one interprofessional (prescribers and pharmacists) focus groups were conducted, recorded, and transcribed. Data collection and analysis occurred iteratively. Emerging themes were inductively derived and refined. Five member-checking interviews were conducted to validate themes. Results: Providers noted several factors that influence intraprofessional and interprofessional communication, including level of trust, role perceptions, conflict history and avoidance, personal relationships, and prescription monitoring program use. Indirect communication approaches via patients, office staff, and voicemail systems were common. Direct pharmacist to prescriber and prescriber to pharmacist communication was described as rare and often perceived to be ineffective. Prescriber to pharmacist communication was reported by prescribers to have decreased after implementation of state prescription monitoring programs. Difficult or uncomfortable conversations were often avoided by providers. Conclusions: Interprofessional and intraprofessional prescription opioid abuse communication is situational and influenced by multiple factors. Indirect communication and communication avoidance are common. Themes identified in this study can inform development of interventions that improve providers' intra- and interprofessional communication skills.

Community pharmacists in the United States have significant opportunity to engage in community-level prescription substance abuse prevention and treatment efforts, including dissemination of information specific to available addiction treatment options. Our cross-sectional study of Tennessee community pharmacists noted that 26% had previously provided addiction treatment facility information to one or more patients in the past. The purpose of this study was to employ multivariate modeling techniques to investigate associations between community pharmacist and community pharmacy factors and past provision of addiction treatment information to pharmacy patients. Multivariate logistic regression indicated having addiction treatment facility information in a pharmacy setting (aOR=8.19; 95% CI=4.36–15.37), having high confidence in ability to discuss treatment facility options (aOR=4.16; 95% CI=2.65–6.52), having participated in prescription opioid abuse-specific continuing education (aOR=2.90; 95% CI=1.70–4.97), being male (aOR=2.23; 95% CI=1.38–3.59), and increased hours per week in the practice setting (aOR=1.02; 95% CI=1.004–1.05) were all significantly associated with provision of information about addiction treatment. Dissemination of addiction treatment information, improvements in communicative self-efficacy beliefs, and dissemination of prescription opioid abuse-specific continuing education are modifiable factors significantly associated with increased provision of addiction treatment information by community pharmacists.

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Dr. Robert Pack is Professor of Community and Behavioral Health, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Public Health at East Tennessee State University (ETSU), and Director of the new ETSU Center for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment. The Center grew out of a university and community collaborative that was started in 2012 to address the regional problem of prescription opioid abuse. At least five funded projects and dozens of other academic products have grown out of the Working Group. Dr. Pack is currently PI of the NIH/NIDA-funded Diversity Promoting Institutions Drug Abuse Research Program at ETSU, the research component of which is the fiveyear set of three studies titled Inter-professional Communication to Prevent Prescription Drug Abuse and Misuse. He was trained in health education/health promotion at the UAB Ryals School of Public Health and is experienced in designing, running and disseminating theory-based intervention studies. In 2014, he was trained at the NIH-funded Training Institute for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health.

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Abstract available through the Journal of Pharmacy Practice.

Abstract available through Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

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